Administering fluids containing medicine or nutrition to a patient is well known in the art. Typically, fluid is delivered to the patient by an administration feeding set loaded to a flow control apparatus, such as a peristaltic pump, which delivers fluid to the patient at a controlled rate of delivery. A peristaltic pump usually comprises a housing that includes a rotor or like means operatively engaged to at least one motor through a gearbox. The rotor drives fluid through the tubing of the administration feeding set by the peristaltic action effected by rotation of the rotor by the motor. The motor is operatively connected to a rotatable shaft that drives the rotor, which in turn progressively compresses the tubing and drives the fluid at a controlled rate through the administration feeding set. A microprocessor or like means controls operation of two separate motor sources for controlling operations related to fluid delivery rate as well as fluid flow control. Typically, the administration feeding set has a type of valve mechanism for permitting or preventing fluid flow communication through the administration feeding set.
However, as noted above, a prior art flow control apparatus that utilizes an automatic valve mechanism may require separate motors in order to control the operation of the rotor shaft and valve shaft that drive the rotor and valve mechanism, respectively. In addition, a prior art valve mechanism that can be manually operated may be susceptible to tampering such that if the valve mechanism were removed from the flow control apparatus while in the open position uncontrolled fluid free flow would occur, thereby resulting in either overmedicating or overfeeding the patient.
As noted above, an administration feeding set is loaded to the flow control apparatus in order to provide fluid delivery to the patient through the feeding set. In many instances, it is desirable to load different types of administration feeding sets to the flow control apparatus to accomplish different types of tasks, such as flushing residue from the tubing, provide fluid to a patient, or re-certification of the flow control apparatus. Each of these tasks requires an administration feeding set having a unique functional configuration.
Despite similar appearances of these different types of administration feeding sets it is very important that the user be able to quickly and accurately identify the functional configuration of administration feeding set being loaded to the flow control apparatus.
A flow control apparatus of the prior art may also be capable of monitoring and detecting fluid flow abnormalities that can occur within the administration feeding set during operation of the flow control apparatus. Generally, prior art flow monitoring systems that are capable of detecting and discerning between abnormal flow conditions may rely on separate sensors being placed at various points along both the upstream and downstream sides of the administration feeding set in order to distinguish between an upstream or a downstream occlusion. Typically, prior art flow monitoring systems rely on operational parameters, such as fluid pressure present inside the administration feeding set or fluid flow rate through the tubing, in order to determine the existence and location of an occlusion, but cannot monitor fluid flow based on a sensor detecting the presence or absence of fluid in the administration feeding set.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved flow control apparatus that reduces the possibility for a valve mechanism to become disengaged; that quickly and accurately identifies functional configurations of an administration feeding set; and that monitors fluid flow in an effective manner.